"The media is weighing in with its post-game analysis of yesterday’s House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing on the Fast and Furious 'gunwalking' debacle. This column will forego in-depth commentary (see yesterday’s brief initial reactions from WarOnGuns and from Mike Vanderboegh of Sipsey Street Irregulars) pending following up on credible sourced information."

"Rather than formulate opinions based on what others are saying, Gun Rights Examiner encourages readers who could not watch the live proceedings for themselves to carve out the time to do so. It is time-consuming, but also essential in order to be fully informed." ...

"This afternoon, I stopped by my local BOA to pick up some pre-Valentine’s Day $2 bills. The branch manager said she’d noticed an unusual amount of TJs submitted for deposit. Guess what’s across the street? Starbucks. There are twelve days left before Starbucks Appreciation Day—wherein gun owners will signal their approval of the Seattle coffeesmith’s firearms toleration policy by spending a $2 bill at one of the company’s outlets. ..."

"As for yesterday . . . (it was) a plea bargain of sorts where both sides save face. The Committee will accept the scalps of Breuer and Wienstein, DOJ will release enough of the (documents) to condemn them, claim cooperation (thus giving the appearance of recognizing congress's oversight authority), and Holder will survive - looking like a 'leader' for offering them up (along with a few lower level ATF and DOJ folk). The Committee will chalk one in the 'Win' column for oversight and holding people accountable. DOJ will have the same for cooperating and accountability. All sides win, all checks and balance intact and working fine, all powers respected and then they move on to the next act of political theatre. ..." ...

"When an arsonist lights a match that burns a building, is the match at fault? Are match manufacturers responsible for the fire? Should laws be passed prohibiting you from having and using matches, or restricting which types you can have, and in what quantities?"

"The obvious answer to these questions is no. The same match that is misused by the arsonist lights the fireplace that warms us, and the stove that feeds us. The match has no mind of its own. It is not an evil invention. Its purpose is to ignite, nothing more. If it is misused, the solution is to punish the individual wrongdoer. Everyone else should be left alone."

"I am heartened by a report written by Jason Clayworth for the De Moines Register.com [ ] Proposal that could kill gun control advances."

"Way to go Jason!!"

"The article reports the movement of proposed legislation to repeal gun control in the state of Iowa. Naturally, the opposition surfaces, and it is this which I want you to examine. My point is to ask whether there is a right answer in the so-called debate of gun control."

"CCW advocates have been following the progression of HR Bill 822, which proposes national concealed carry reciprocity by which a person who has obtained a valid CCW permit in one state can legally carry concealed in any other state. This bill has, of course, generated a tremendous amount of fear and doubt on both sides of the issue. Here are a few of the concerns (both real and imagined). . ." ...

"Karin Bugge of Altadena, California isn’t afraid of her neighbors. She’s not afraid of strangers on the street. Writing for altadeena.patch.com, Ms. Bugge pens a piece announcing her fearless support of Assemblyman Tortantino’s bill to ban citizens from openly carrying long guns. (The bill would close the “long gun loophole,” now that the Golden State has banned civilians from openly carrying handguns). Bugge wonders why anyone would be so frightened as to carry a long gun *gasp* in public . . ." ...

"Every year, voting members of the National Rifle Association (those with 5 or more years of consecutive membership and those with Life or higher-level memberships) are asked to participate in the governance of their organization by voting for a third of their 76-member board of directors. And each year, due to a long and tumultuous personal and family relationship with the organization, I am asked to make recommendations among the candidates."

"This year I am calling for voting members of the association to 'Bullet Vote' for one candidate: Mrs. Maria Heil." ...

"It shows up in movies and on TV and it's a popular prop for gangsta-rap, where its one-syllable name is an easy fit for bad rhymers with attitude."

"The brain-child of a one-time obscure Austrian engineer named Gaston Glock, this semi-automatic pistol made in large part of polymer is now part of the U.S. landscape, thanks in large part to Hollywood's Die Hard 2, where Bruce Willis has a famous encounter with it."

"How an innocuous-looking foreign pistol replaced the distinctly American shiny steel revolver as a symbol of that country's revered Second Amendment to its Constitution is the subject of this thoroughly researched book." ...

"TTAG gun guru Nick Leghorn predicted that the rifles at the 2012 SHOT show would have a Golbergian feel to them (variations on a theme). Less charitably, manufacturers would offer consumers options packages under a new model name. Enter the ATI AK-47 Strikeforce Elite Ultimate Professional Stock Package with Scorpion Recoil System. [Press release after the jump.] No doubt ATI’s bits and pieces help create a wonderful gun, addressing some of the 'modern' AK’s inherent flaws. Wait, are they flaws? I consider the AK’s simple not to say simplistic unburstability the gun’s biggest selling point. This looks a bit . . . delicate. OK, ugly. ..." ...

"TTAG scribes are working on a new batch of gun reviews. Ahead of that joyous firearms farrago, I came across a review of the Remington Model 700 50th Anniversary Edition on rifleshootermag.com. J. Scott Rupp’s piece stayed within the confines of the usual criticism-free zone, save for a kvetch that 'the Allen screw on the X-Mark Pro trigger protruded from the trigger face.' And this little gem about a manufacturing issue . . ." ...

"A few months ago I was skimming through some of TTAG’s older posts. I re-spotted Nick’s 1000-yard rifle for $500 project. Like many of you I’ve been anxiously awaiting the results, to see what could be pulled from a stock rifle with zero gunsmithing work and a scope that costs less than a decent bipod. Unfortunately, Nick is mid-move and having some troubles getting onto a 1000-yard range. Meanwhile, his efforts however have inspired me. A little background . . ." ...

"K-Var may be best known as the premier American purveyor of all things Kalashnikov, but the Las Vegas-based importer is now taking orders for a special run of custom-built Zastava bolt-action rifles. For southpaws…" ...

"I’m going to go out on a limb here and suggest that many people who who get into pistols end up selling the first pistol they got within one year of getting it. Let me add a couple of caveats to that statement though. First of all, this assumes that our new pistol aficionado has access to an easy means of selling or trading in their pistol. Secondly, it also assumes that you don’t have a friend or two who owns pistols of various types which gives you the opportunity to extensively test different ones out before buying." ...

"We’ve all seen the pink paraphernalia everywhere. From the Pepto pink grocery bags at the store to the pink shoes, towels and even mouth guards worn by NFL players, few charities have so effectively been adopted as a worthy cause to support as has breast cancer awareness. But now the driving force behind all that pinkness, the Susan G. Komen Foundation, has taken the whole pink thing to uncharted territory." ...

"Since 2008, the gun lobby and right-wing media have been pushing various theories suggesting Barack Obama was secretly plotting against the Second Amendment. The National Rifle Association set up www.gunbanobama.com as Glenn Beck warned Obama was working to 'take away your gun.' Three years after Obama's election the purported plans to enact sweeping gun bans and confiscation haven't materialized, but according to gun lobby chief Larry Keane, Rupert Murdoch's media empire is now engaging in 'corporate gun control.'" ...

"'Yes, Officer, I was driving down the Merritt Parkway at 75 mph, but I have a Utah driver’s license and that is our state speed limit.' How silly is that argument? Not as silly as that made in the Cheshire Herald op-ed of February 2 ('NYC Should Do the Right Thing and Drop Graves’ Case.')"

"Mrs. Graves decided to carry a handgun in New York City, and specifically to the 9/11 Site. ..." ...-------

Submitter's Note: Not nearly as silly as your argument. Mrs. Graves attempted to obey the "speed limit sign" and, as a result, was arrested.

"In 1989, Douglas Wilder campaigned for Virginia governor with a promise to crack down on gun violence."

"He won the election by less than a half percent ... and promised to be a leader for gun control in a historically 'pro-gun' state ..."

"The governor made good on his promise, but now the pro-gun Republican majority is looking to loosen some of Wilder's stricter rules on handguns."

"To squelch the state's reputation as the gun runner of the South, Wilder pushed for a one-handgun-per-month limit on gun buying. Over the objections of Second Amendment advocates, lawmakers enacted the limit to prevent gun dealers from shipping handguns bought in Virginia to cities such as Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York and Washington, DC." ...

"In a New Hampshire seacoast town, a man was driving his family home after picking up their son from the bus station. The car was suddenly rammed in the back and as the other car passed, the driver shot Richard Lyczak in the head."

"Nathan Lyczak, my friend who was in the back seat, got out of the car to help his dad, and the shooter turned around in his car, came back and fired at him. ..." ...

"At 23, I had never known someone who died, much less who had been murdered. Prior to this day I had never held a gun and didn't know anyone who owned a gun. Afterward, I didn't want to see, hold, or touch a gun, and I supported gun control laws with the hope that something like this crime would never happen again.

"A 64 year old FL woman, who is a huge John Wayne fan (she thinks he would be proud of her), held a suspect fleeing from police at gunpoint when the suspect entered her yard. More details in the video linked below." ...

"I’m astounded at the number of people who don’t carry a gun in their house. Why wouldn’t you? OK, I thought of Three Reasons Not to Home Carry. But that post was heavy on the irony, light on the WTF. But c’mon. WTF? It’s not like the gun’s gonna do anything. It’s just there. On your hip or in your pocket. Ready should you need it. Will you need it? I certainly hope not. But if you do need it, why, there it is. Here’s an example of a man who had plenty of guns in the house but couldn’t get to any of them when push came to shove. In fact, he did a lot of stupid things, but let’s focus on his home carry deficit first . . ." ...

... "Last month, Arizona’s gun-toter-in-chief, Sen. Ron Gould, R-Lake Havasu City, has once again proposed an omnibus gun bill that includes allowing college students and faculty to pack heat on campus."

"Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed a similar Gould bill last year but not because the state’s community college boards, university presidents and faculty organizations were nearly unanimous in opposition. ..."

"So Gould crafted a new bill this year that allows people with a concealed-carry permit to keep their guns ... while on campus. If a college doesn’t want guns in the classroom, it has to provide storage lockers and metal detectors at all entrances to buildings, a cost so prohibitive it’s almost guaranteed not to happen." ...

"Should people be able to carry guns on the campuses of Arizona’s colleges and universities? Not if the schools have their way."

"They are joining together to fight a new bill that would allow people to pack heat on campus."

"Some of the major colleges and universities were vocal with their opposition to guns on campuses the last time the bill was proposed. Friday, we spoke with the faculty association ..."

"They claim that this isn't just a security issue, it's a financial one."

"Included in at least one of the bills is the requirement that schools -- and businesses -- provide signage at the entrance to their establishments as well as gun lockers if the schools decide to ban the firearms from buildings." ...-------

"Freshman South Carolina Congressman Trey Gowdy was right earlier Friday when he first told Fox & Friends’ Gretchen Carlson, and subsequently this column, that Democrats are trying to politicize the probe into Operation Fast and Furious."

"No greater evidence of that can be seen in the headlines generated by Thursday’s hearing before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, chaired by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), during which Attorney General Eric Holder testified and answered questions for more than four hours." ...

"Less than 24 hours after he grilled Attorney General Eric Holder over Operation Fast and Furious, South Carolina Congressman Trey Gowdy told this column, following an appearance on Fox & Friends Friday morning that the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform will get all of the documents it has requested, one way or the other." ...

"Idaho Rep. Raul Labrador told Attorney General Eric Holder that he was incompetent and should resign. Holder responded that the freshman Republican’s behavior was unfair, disrespectful and out of line."

"'Maybe this is the way you do things in Idaho or wherever you’re from,' Holder said." ...

"Buckeye Firearms Association (BFA) is proud to announce endorsements for a host of local, statewide and federal offices in the March 6, 2012 primaries."

"As a political action committee, BFA has been issuing endorsements in every election season for the past ten years. Through a system of weighing candidate surveys, voting records (where applicable) and personal commitment to the cause, candidates are graded on the traditional A, B, C, D or F scale, in addition to being considered for an endorsement. This year candidates who receive an 'A' grade based only on our questionnaire will be noted with an 'Aq' grade. This replaces the 'B*' score from prior elections." ...

... "Sam Jones, one of the local security volunteers, was carrying .45 Long Colt on his side. Jones said that he’s been volunteering with the campaign since he heard Paul was running."

"'All the signs you see around the valley, we build and put ‘em up,' he said."

"Jones said he will not vote for another candidate if Ron Paul is not the Republican Party nominee ..."

"Paul’s Nevada campaign chairman, Carl Bunce expects Paul to win Nevada tomorrow as long as his campaign turns out its identified supporters. Bunce said the campaign did not have a problem with people openly carrying guns at campaign events. 'Ron Paul is strong on the Second Amendment. We have the right to bear arms,' he said."

"Gun-rights advocates fired the first volley Thursday in a legislative effort to amend the state’s constitution to guarantee an individual’s right to possess and bear arms in Iowa."

"House Joint Resolution 2005 would add language to the Iowa Constitution establishing a fundamental right to 'acquire, keep, possess, transport, carry, transfer and use arms to defend life and liberty and for all other legitimate purposes' that cannot be infringed upon or denied. The resolution also provides that mandatory licensing, registration or special taxation as a condition of the exercise of that right would be prohibited and any other restriction would be 'subject to strict scrutiny.'" ...

"At the last Chesterfield City Council meeting, once candidates for the April election finished using the mic to introduce themselves, and another speaker requested the City discuss the Monarch Fire PD, we got to what everyone was there for. Guns and squirrels."

"The meeting room was crowded with people who wanted to tell the council it would be trampling the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and the Missouri Constitution if the Council passed an ordinance like hundreds of other cities had already done in Missouri that made it illegal to shoot firearms and certain other projectile weapons in residential areas." ...

"FBI is investigating a claim that a St. Louis police officer killed an unarmed man as he begged for his life in the second of two violent confrontations Dec. 20."

"A civil suit making the same accusation is expected to be filed Monday on behalf of the dead man's infant daughter."

"The incident has separately spawned an investigation into a patrol car camera video that reportedly shows the officer with what appears to be an AK-47-style weapon in the first confrontation. Policy limits officers to using department-issued weapons, and that type is not included. It was not used for the killing." ...

"He was supposed to uphold the law but, instead, a retired Coon Rapids police officer admitted in Anoka County District Court Monday that he broke it."

"Joe Hunt, an officer with the Coon Rapids Police Department from 1977 until he retired as an investigator in 2004, pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree criminal sexual contact for sexually abusing a boy."

"The abuse took place while he was a police officer."

"'You performed oral sex on (the victim)?' Assistant County Attorney Amy Reed-Hall asked Hunt in court."

"'Yes,' Hunt said, adding that the abuse took place more than once." ...

"The Marietta Times is reporting that the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) is voicing concerns about HB422, legislation that seeks to repeal requirements that a concealed carry licensee inform an approaching law enforcement officer that the licensee is a licensee and is carrying a concealed handgun." ...

"And so, after sitting on the sidelines for four years under Strickland, the OSHP once again supports restricting your firearm rights, as they so often did during the Taft years." ...

A former Gladstone police sergeant, who has been implicated in a complicated murder-for-hire plot and was recently fired from the police department, was not terminated for reasons related to the murder investigation, documents revealed.

Rather, a police memo shows Sgt. Lynn Benton was fired for being involved in a "fraudulent marriage" and viewing pornography on his work computer.

Benton has made headlines for her connection to a murder-for-hire plot.

"State v. Morales, 84197-7. The Supreme Court, with Justice Charles Wiggins writing the majority, reversed a DUI conviction due to an inadequate test warning from the trooper."

"The State of Washington requires that any individual arrested for vehicular assault must take a blood alcohol test. However, rules require that the individual must be given adequate warning regarding the test and informed that they have a right to select any qualified individual to perform further tests." ...

"A young man shown being kicked by a Seattle police officer in a controversial surveillance video was found guilty Thursday of unlawful firearm possession in an unrelated case."

"D'Vontaveous Hoston, 18, is scheduled to be sentenced March 2 and with his criminal history could get 15 to 27 months in prison. In previous cases as a juvenile, Hoston was convicted of an assault charge and drug charge."

"Hoston, kicked by the Seattle officer in October 2010, has filed a claim asking the city for $450,000 in compensation over the incident."

"Portland Police Chief Mike Reese has submitted a proposed budget for next fiscal year that would eliminate 56 officer positions to help meet a requested $6. 1 million cut in its budget next year, yet find money within the bureau's existing resources to reopen Southeast Precinct to patrol officers."

"The mayor had asked all city bureaus to trim budgets by at least 4 percent next fiscal year. The police bureau requested a $162 million spending plan for the 2012-13 fiscal year." ...

"The real police in Eugene would like to talk to parents of children who may have been given a teddy bear by a man suspected of posing as an officer calling himself 'Officer Dan Baker.'"

"Police found a box of the stuffed toy bears in the SUV used by Daniel Alloway" ...

"Alloway works as a security guard and is a member of the Oregon National Guard who has been deployed three times to Iraq."

QUOTES
TO REMEMBER

Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.... We've been tempted to believe that society has become too complex to be managed by self-rule, that government by an elite group is superior to government for, by, and of the people. Well, if no one among us is capable of government himself, then who among us has the capacity to govern someone else? All of us together, in and out of government, must bear the burden. The solutions we seek must be equitable, with no one group singled out to pay a higher price. — Ronald Reagan

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